Help Keep Spray the Queen of the Hoofer Fleet
Help keep Spray, the "Queen of the Fleet" at Hoofer Sailing.
Donated in 2003 by Norb and Ruth Schmitz, after many adventures on Lake Superior and elsewhere, Spray is a Soverel 30 cruising sailboat, loved by new and experienced Hoofer sailors.
Norb and Ruth's family is thrilled that Spray is so loved! They've donated $5,000 to purchase a new set of sails. Friends of Spray aims to match this generous gift (or better!)
Can you help us match the Schmitz family donation? Here are a few ideas for how much to donate:
Get your work party refund and donate it $30 - $90
Donate $10 for every time you got to enjoy sailing on Spray this year $10 - ???
Pick one of the items below and donate that amount, or a percentage $10-$1500
Volunteer instructors, donate a portion (or the whole amount) you would otherwise pay for your Hoofer Membership $159 - $374.
Our priorities
Our first purchase will likely be new standing rigging, and we'll purchase additional parts as we define exact needs and prices.
When appropriate, we also expect to purchase some parts using the regular Hoofer budget. And we will be looking for lots of "sweat equity" through Hoofers club members' help with work parties.
About Spray
Spray is a Soverel 30 cruising sailboat. Donated in 2003 by Norb and Ruth Schmitz (who met and fell in love as Hoofers), Spray is a great learning platform.
Spray had a significant re-fit in 2007-2008 (that's when she got her blue hull!), and now is in need of some major updates to keep her looking and sailing like the Queen that she is. Keeping a sailboat in tip-top shape requires determination, a willingness to learn, to try, and to try again. And it requires money. That's where you come in!
Her sails were getting old and needed replacing. Spray means so much to the Schmitz family that this year, their children donated a new set of sails ($5000)!
Her rigging and other parts need replacement, and we need to refurbish parts of her cabin and many other things.
About Norb and Ruth and Spray
Norb and Ruth were Badgers and tenured professors who met at Hoofers Sailing Club in 1947 in one of Norb's sailing lessons about how sailboats work.
They lived, worked, and raised their 6 children in Madison. They would sail Spray during the summers in lakes Superior, Huron and Michigan. Hoofers Sailing Club meant so much to the couple they decided to donate her to to the club where they first met.
Spray was donated in 2003 and is in her 18th Hoofer season. Each season she sails over 1200 hours teaching 1000+ sailors. She also teaches boy and girl scouts, adaptive sailing, veterans and more. Many Spray sailors discovered a life-long joy of sailing!
Spray will continue her legacy as your donations will be used to teach people not only to sail, but about boat care and restoration.
Needed Items (Costs to be determined):
New Boom and Gooseneck/Mast Plate
Refit boom and mast for boomvang
New Standing Rigging
Topsides - Prep & Repaint
Bottom Paint - Strip and restart
New Running Rigging, and lines
Revamp Electrical Systems
New Cabin Sole
New Cabin Siding and Shelves
Photo plaque and Map of Spray's story
New Toerails or refit
Genoa cars and track
Bulkhead Compass
Rig for Drifter Sail and/or Working Jib
more....
Help us keep Spray the "Queen of the Hoofer Fleet." Donate now*.
Some "fine print"
* To help fund its operations GoFundMe asks for a 12.5% "tip" when you donate. You can adjust the percentage according to your preference.
* Friends of Spray is not a non-profit (or for profit) organization. It's just a small group of dedicated volunteers. So we don't think your donations are tax deductible, but that's up to you to figure out for sure :-)